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Forsyth J Your "Hometown CountvN^w Paper" Since 1908 J ’ ’ s
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Vol. 96, No. 184
Juiy: Murder defendant competent
Woman to stand trial next month in sister’s 2003 death
By Stephen Gurr
Staff Writer
A woman who authorities say
killed her sister with a lamp in a
Cumming residence more than two
years ago will stand trial for murder
next month after a jury found her
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Firefighters Forsyth County firefighters work to extinguish a fire at an unoccupied resi¬
dence owned by George Marshall at 7250 Pine Court. The structure caught
kaHlA hl«ITA fire some time around 12:30 P- m - Friday, fire department officials said.
County firefighters arrived on the scene at 12:44 p.m., but the structure was
already engulfed in flames. Officials were investigating the cause Friday.
Board of Commissioners considers
rezoning for drug treatment facility
By Todd Thief ove
Staff Writer
The Forsyth County Board of
Commissioners is considering a rezon¬
ing request that will place a drug reha¬
bilitation center in the county on 22
acres on the north side of Hwy. 20 east
of the intersection with Bethelview
Road.
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Classifieds „ 4C Cumming man FCHS head football NOV. Nov. 16 15 1069.14 1069.13 ft ft
Deaths_________ Forsyth Life 2A IB charged with burglary coach Charles Kicker Nov. 17 1069.10 ft
Horoscope. ............3C at UGA stadium. steps down. Nov. 18 1069.10 ft
Opinion 16A PagellA Rage 1C Full 1071 .Q0H
High in the low 50s. a**.
0 7 Sports, 1C Low in the high 30s.
SUNDAY November 20,2005
mentally competent.
Edna Irene Hester, 41, faces mur¬
der and aggravated assault charges in
the August 2003 death of 43-year-old
Donna Lynn Harris. Her attorney
sought to have her declared incompe¬
tent to stand trial, arguing that she
suffered from pyschotic behavior and
In accordance with state law, it will
be at least six months before commis¬
sioners approve the rezoning request
for the facility.
It’s not the first time the board has
heard the request — according to coun¬
ty records commissioners approved
rezoning the land to commercial on
Oct. 27, 2003. The application submit¬
ted July 24,2003, summarizes the proj¬
was unable to assist her defense
lawyers.
A 10-woman, two-man Forsyth'
County Superior Court jury deliber
ated for about three hours before
returning a verdict Friday. Jurors had
to decide whether Hester understood
the object and nature of the court
ect as an “extended care treatment
facility.”
However, as more detailed plans
were submitted afterward to the county
government for a halfway house and
drug rehabilitation center on the prop¬
erty, Planning Department Assistant
Director Tom Brown said staff consul t
See BOARD, Page 2A
ings and whether she could assist her
attorneys in her defense. After hear
ing testimony from two mental
health experts declaring her fit for
trial, the jury agreed with the state’s
witnesses,
The trial was an atypical court
case for Forsyth County. Hester’s
trial was a civil legal proceeding for
SFHS principal
to move to future
West Forsyth
Longtime FCHS
principal Foxx
retiring in June
By Crystal Ledford
Staff Writer
South Forsyth High School prin¬
cipal Richard Gill will take the reins
at the future West Forsyth High
School.
The Forsyth County Board of
Education named Gill the principal
of Forsyth’s fourth traditional high
school, scheduled to open in fall
2007, on Friday.
Gill, principal at SFHS since
2001, also will be serving as “princi¬
pal on special assignment” next
school year preparing for the open¬
ing of West.
The board has yet to announce
who will be Gill’s replacement at
South Forsyth next year.
Milken
Foundation
Education
Award
recipient Kelli
Schuyler,, left,
hugs Lissa V,
Pijanowski at Wm
the Board of
Education w
Building A
Thursday
evening. . y*’’
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Pbcto/Sam
Freeman
School system asking public
to name three planned schools
By Crystal Ledford
Staff Writer
Names will soon be selected for
three future schools and the public
now has a chance to voice their opin¬
ion on what names should be cho¬
sen.
Schools spokesperson Jennifer
Caracciolo presented the naming
committees’ top choices for school
names for Elementary School 5,
Elementary School 8 and South
Relief High School to the board of
education during their regular meet¬
ing Thursday.
Caracciolo reported the commit¬
tees have narrowed the name possi¬
bilities down to three top choices for
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a criminal case,
with the defendant
acting as the plain¬
tiff and assuming
the burden of proof.
Defense attorney
jury in his opening statement
Tuesday that it was the first compe
See JURY, Page 15A
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Gill Foxx
Gill has been an educator for
more than 30 years and came to
Forsyth County Schools in 1989 as a
counselor at South Forsyth, High
School.
The Board of Education also
announced the retirement of long¬
time Forsyth Central High School
principal Kenny Foxx and Associate
Superintendent of Educational
Leadership Jane Fuqua Friday.
Foxx will retire effective June
30, 2006, and Fuqua will retire at
See FUTURE, Page 15A
each school.
The public will have until Dec. 2
to vote for their name choices via the
{school system’s Web site,
www.forsyth.kl2.ga.us.
The top name choices for
Elementary 5 are Ducktown (for the
former school of the same name),
Heardsville (after the former
Heardsville community), Pooles Mill
(after the current park and the third
owner of the mill) and Welch Mill
(after the original owner of the local
mill).
. The future school, scheduled to
open in 2009, is located at the inter
See NAME, Page 2A
Hester